It's either go back to Pole again in the same capacity as last time or go to KU for a Master's in geology. I suppose I could also start over from square one, but that feels pretty drastic.
I'll let some images speak for my inner turmoil.
And why not toss in some quotes for good measure?
There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. We must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.
~William Shakespeare
The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.
~Joseph Campbell
I'm not quite so self-absorbed as to not be thankful for having options to move forward with in my life. Many people have far less, and I know either way I go will have its own ups and downs. Despite all the other unsuccessful applications I've made over the last 11 months, I still have a relative embarrassment of riches.
6 comments:
The Pole, the Pole, I vote for the Pole. Going for your Masters, just put a gun to our head. I have one and I would give it back if I could. GO TO THE POLE!
Linus don't Waffle it, the Pole is calling you.
Tough choice-but I would think hard about the financial aspects. How would you pay for your MA? (or MS) You could see if there's an online component you could do while you were on the Ice. Would it be another whole year situation or just a summer position?
Whichever you choose I'm sure you'll learn a lot and have some fun.
School:
It would be my 2nd MS. Funding would not be an issue. Fieldwork would likely be in Greenland during the boreal summer(s). Distance learning isn't really an option. It'd be a whole new field for me.
Pole:
Same gig as last time, a 13-month deployment. I'd be in a similar state as I currently am once it is over.
Heck, if the money isn't an issue, then go for learning more new stuff in new places.
Let some other poor soul have a chance to experience the Pole in it's glory. Geo. is one of the really neat sciences.
The pole is a nice self-contained place to save some money, and in another year there might be more of an economy to find a job in...but you've been there and know just what you'd be getting yourself into.
What about doing more post-graduate work somewhere other than Kansas? Though you seem to have visited most of the world already, living in a place is a different experience than going there as a tourist. Is there a place you could study that would further your goal to go spaceside?
Having done two in a row (and almost a third, as you know), I can say that without a doubt that the place is no different from one year to the next. You'll be more of the guy who starts saying things like "Last year we did it this way" or "My first time at pole we ...". Think of your least-favorite returning winterover and you're getting just one step closer to that guy. If you're not really interested in saving money and you've seen it all before so the novelty of it is gone, then the only real benefit of being at pole is the relationships that you form with people while you're there. Oh, and the free trip to New Zealand :)
Good luck, it's never an easy choice or one to be taken too lightly.
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